On the Surface: Emphasizing the Importance of a Healthy Scalp

Whether you’re about to receive a hair transplant, PRP therapy, or you’ve started noticing hair loss and thinning, your scalp health is a major factor. 

Despite its importance, the scalp environment is something that is often overlooked when people begin to notice their hair thinning or falling out. Even recipients of hair transplant and PRP therapy may be baffled as to why their procedures have not produced the successful results they were expecting.

There are so many different issues that can occur on the scalp and no two people will have identical problems, which can make it difficult to know for certain that you’re having issues with the scalp. In this article, we’re gonna have a look at some of the more common scalp problems, how they impact hair loss, and what you can do about them.

What Are Some Problematic Scalp Conditions?

Dry Scalp 

Maybe the most common scalp issue, an excessively dry scalp can lead to flakes and itching. Constant itching in a particular area of the scalp can actually traumatize hair follicles, which leads to inflammation – and that means disruption of hair growth.

Oily Scalp 

On the other end of the spectrum, excess sebum production on the scalp can lead to clogged follicles. Over enough time, clogged follicles can severely impede the growth of existing hairs and prevent new growth from occurring. Clogged follicles also create an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, which can lead to acne and folliculitis.

Scalp Psoriasis 

Red, scaly patches appearing on the scalp, resulting from an accelerated skin cell turnover cycle. This actually comes from an overactive immune response, and can lead to inflammation and fairly severe irritation.

Scalp Eczema 

More of a common skin condition, and certainly more prevalent in dry climates, scalp eczema is characterized by dry skin, lots of flaking, and itchiness. You may also hear of this condition being referred to as seborrheic dermatitis. Similar to these other conditions, ongoing eczema on the scalp will lead to inflammation, and will be exacerbated by constant itching.

Fungal Infection 

Inadequate scalp hygiene, washing, and even drying of the scalp creates an optimal environment for fungal growth. Fungal infections on the scalp can greatly impact hair growth and contribute to hair loss through inflammation, damage to hair shafts, and in some cases, scarring alopecia.

There is a recurring theme around healthy (and unhealthy) scalp environments, and it’s inflammation. Although there’s many contributing factors to hair loss, inflammation is among the worst. It’s a particularly tedious issue as well, because it reveals itself in different ways and isn’t always obvious.

The Importance of Keeping a Clean Scalp

It’s important to keep a clean scalp to reduce scalp inflammation and to ensure your follicles are safe from clogging. Now, there are many different routines for keeping your hair and scalp clean and we’re not saying you need to be aggressively scrubbing your scalp every day of the week to keep it clean.

People often talk about how shampooing too often is actually bad for your hair, or how using a multitude of products has a negative effect on your hair over time. While there are some instances where that is true, it is advice that should be taken with a grain of salt. From what we’ve seen over the years, cheaper products and the all-in-one shower gels tend to be the ones that cause more trouble with daily use. However, for the most part, people’s regular routines are often fine for treating their hair.

One item you might consider, in the interest of treating the scalp, is an antiseptic shampoo such as the Eucalyptus shampoo available at Du Brule. Antiseptic shampoo is a tremendous tool to help stabilize hair loss. As opposed to treating your hair, it goes in on areas of the scalp where your hair growth is most affected.

Combined with your regular hair care routine, an antiseptic shampoo helps to create an optimal scalp environment for hair growth, and reduce the effects of the conditions previously listed. It is a great step to take if you’re experiencing hair loss or starting to notice your hair thinning.